This OS lifestyle is costing me a fortune

vivw_2

Unfortunately although I use freecycle all the time to offer items I have been extremely unlucky in obtaining items except for a pair of crutches that I managed to get for my mother.
It would seem that unless you are able to spend a lot of time logged onto your local site, you miss being first asking for items. because I work full time [at moment off ill] I am usually working all day and so can't access freecycle when most items are listed

dannahaz

Already did quite a lot before discovering this site, but this site forced me, with my hand behind my back, to buy:

* a sausage stuffer attachment for my processor - and then sausage skins etc. Home made sausages are just fab.

* Kefir.

* And a wide mouthed flask for yoghurt. I've had to increase my milk delivery to keep up with both of these.

* Much more bread flour, as I now have a sourdough starter, Stanley, living in my fridge and he needs feeding every 5 days.

* Numerous books: "Bread from Ciabatta to Rye"; the Dairy Book of Household Management...

* lots of different types of flour, as a result of the C to R book - Rye (dark and light), ciabatta, french...

*A Kenwood slicer (not such a great buy in my case).

* A vacuum sealer, and lots of bags for it.

* Microfibre cloths.

* White vinegar.

* Stuff so I could line my own curtains.

* Stuff so I could make my own home-made Christmas wreath

I'm sure I'll think of more later...

thriftlady_2

dannahaz wrote:

* Much more bread flour, as I now have a sourdough starter, Stanley, living in my fridge and he needs feeding every 5 days.

Stanley :rotfl: That's going to be my new answer to the kids demands for a pet - 'we'll get a sourdough starter, and he can live in the fridge'

I can honestly say that I haven't needed to buy anything since joining this site. I already had a yogurt maker, a slow cooker, made my own bread, preserving equipment, The Tightwad Gazette, The More-With-Less cookbook and numerous other cookbooks.

This site hasn't changed the way I live, it has validated it.

apple_mint

I started out by keeping a spreadsheet showing my savings by doing things OS style and savings I made through tips I picked up across MSE. This way I 'accumulated savings' to get a beadmaker and then a slow cooker. The only other brand new item has been a lakeland yoghurt maker which paid for itself in a matter of weeks.

Most of my other OS stuff has come off car boot sales .. Kenwood chef, chefette, ice cream maker, baking bowls, pie dishes along with some great pans, jam pan and steaming pans. Given our greatly reduced shopping bills over the last year we are well in profit.

I do now have a fetish for cookery books (fulfilled by car boot and charity shop hunts) and I bought Tightwad Gazette (which I keep re-reading and is permanently by the side of the bed).

lil_me

I think I need to go to car boot sales once I save some of my accumulated savings, that sounds like a great idea apple_mint will have a look at starting a spreadsheet for it, no idea where to start but shall have a go.

Big issue I have is where to store everything, especially the likes of pans, processors etc, will have to reorganise before I buy. Small kitchen with very little storage being the main problem. Would love to use a yogurt maker but it's where to put it when not in use.

apple_mint

Lil_me, this is the yoghurt maker I have

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!3440_3441

We have an extra insert and always start the second one just as the first one is getting down. We do it overnight. It has quite a small footprint and sits neatly next to our kettle. Given that it is on 3 or 4 times a week we never put it away.

Car booting is an excellent way of picking kitchen equipment. You won't believe how many people change their utensils, electrical equipment, dishes etc. because they are simply redecorating and things no longer match. Nothing matches in my kitchen - it is very eclectic and all my visitors love to sit at my kitchen table rather than spend time in the sitting room. Some of the bargains I have picked up are .. a knife block and knives £1, a pasta machine £3, copper bottomed pans £3 the set (they were changing their cooker and wanted new pans), a mortor and pestle £1 (£11 in our local kitchen shop) and various casserole & pie dishes ranging from 10p to £1. Space is a problem - OH kitted out our pantry in floor to ceiling shelves - recycled timber of course

redspot24

I think I've saved money since going 'os'. Am also trying to use up my cupboard of chemicals before getting either white vinegar or Stardrops (the great debate: which to get?!).
Was coincidentally given a slow cooker for Christmas, so that's helped out. Am tempted by a breadmaker, although need to check out what exactly they do - we eat more muffins etc than actual loaves of bread.
Ooo, can think of one thing I've splashed out on: cheap coke for cleaning the toilet. Got 2l for 26p at Spar yesterday, sloshed it round earlier. Looks sparkly!
Am determined to implement more os changes over time. Am really feeling the difference in my pocket already :j

Queenie

Hopefully not all since November!!??? :eek: :eek:

Before any new faces/lurkers read this list and feel overwhelmed can I just say ... if you are changing your lifestyle to be Old Style the very best way to do it is in small steps and not *all* of those items are a requirement!!

If you do need to make a bigger purchase - certainly for something like a dehydrator - utilise the Pin Money Savings Challenge to squirrel away your money bit by bit until you have afford to invest in them.

I dont' have a coffeemaker - I have a kettle and a cafetierre.
Don't have a toaster/sandwich maker/George Foreman - I have a grill
I don't have a food dehydrator, but I do use old fashioned methods (for the time being; it's on my PMS wish list ) by utilising the oven/airing cupboard

A friend and I did go halves on a sausage maker, but it resides at her house and I'm not really getting the benefit of it, so I might just cut my losses and invest in one of my own; we'll see.

vivw wrote:

Since reading this forum and others on this site I've spent loads on the following:
Lock and lock containers
Vac sacs
Food Dehydrator
Stardrops
micro cloths
saucepans
kitchen bin
kitchen scales
kettle
toaster
coffee maker
frying pan
wok
[already had a hand blender, pressure cooker, breadmaker, slow cooker]

and am now looking at the Kenwood Chef......so much for money saving
However I hope it will be in the long run and the food we are now eating is much better for us. What have you bought since becoming OS?

sammy_kaye18

I think being OS has saved me a fortune probably. Since becoming Os the main things ive brought are
*slow cooker - £8
*george foreman (small one) - £10
*3 hot water bottles - £5.97 (£1.99 each)
*3 fleece blankets - £3.75 (£1.25 each)

so being os has cost me £27.72 so far

i already had a kettle, saucepans, bin, scales, mini hand blender, kettle, toaster, frying pan, baking sheets, cake tins, pie dish (which im yet to use!) etc. wouldnt mind a bread maker though but not sure im brave enough - plus i get discounted loaves from work for 10p!!
(there is an old sandwich toaster at the back of the cupboard but its never been used and ive had it for about 3 years now - im thinking freecycle or a couple of quid off ebay)
*I laid a new floor in the kitchen and the living room so i find i dont use the hoover so much - (cost me £58 - laminate tile and planks from poundland! - bargain and they look awesome!) so money savign electric there.
*I dont seem to have as many chemicals - i have multi purpose stuff for cleaning the kitchen tops but everywhere else gets bicarb of soda!!! Also use bi carb/salt mix for the rug in the hallway where pooch sleeps, and in the bedrooms once in a while especailly if little one is poorly.
*use blankets and hot water bottles to stay warm in the night instead of having the heating on all the time - saves my heating bill!
*draught excluders were/are a godsend - home made thanks to the sewing machine bf brought me last year!! sayign that all my clothes seem to be lasting now i can wizz them in the sewing machine!
*have improved my baking skills (albeit slightly) instead of buying all the rubbish cakes at Mr T's. I am now a dab hand at making biscuits, fairy cakes and victoria sponges - plus ive learnt how to make shortcrust pastry from scratch!! - landed!!!! saved a fair bit!! im attempting tablet but it never goes right either plus im buying more flour that anything ready made etc
*walking more so saving in bus fare
*taking packed lunches to work instead of buying food there
*food budgeting is helping save lots too

crumbs thats a fair bit in a little under a year - looks good so far!!

vivw_2

I have to admit , its all been since Nov. I have used money made by selling books that have been lurking on my shelves for years, through Amazon. I've made £285 in total and decided that if I was going to improve the way we lived and ate then I needed some incentive.
Having been suffering from a lot of ill health and depression for a while now, I decided that by improving my surroundings I would have more positive outlook and be able to make those changes. Buying those items and replacing old tatty items has certainly improved the appearance of my kitchen and made it a much more pleasant place to be in. Its amazing how much more pleasurable cooking is, in a kitchen that is well equiped and pleasing to the eye.
My old kettle leaked, the saucepans were chipped, the toaster tempermental, the lid on the bin kept sticking etc. Now with the new items, that work properly I have began to cook more. We haven't had ready meals for several months; I made homemade Christmas cake and pudding [first time in years] and the breadmaker is being used regularly. My health hasn't improved yet but my mind is more positive and I intend to keep it that way.
Another side effect is there is more space on the shelves for new books....I'm an avid reader as also is OH.
Next item is a yogurt maker but will wait until more books are sold before I get that